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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · stick · wound · mine · jam · suit · staff · toast

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stock — goods
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mine — for digging
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. staff — employees
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. suit — in cards
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. toast — bread
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — shares
  23. suit — to fit
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com